In Microsoft Word, Synchronous Scrolling allows you to view two documents side by side (or stack on top of each other) and scroll them together in unison.
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The images below are from Word for Microsoft 365. These steps also apply to Word 2021, Word 2019, Word 2016, Word 2013, and Word 2010. These steps don’t apply to Word for Mac.
How to Use Synchronous Scrolling (Scroll Documents Side by Side)
- Open both files in Word.
- Select the View tab in the ribbon.
- Select View Side by Side in the Window group.
The two files should appear side by side on your screen.
- Select Window in the ribbon on the lefthand file.
- Ensure that Synchronous Scrolling is selected. (It should be selected by default.)
- Use the horizontal and vertical scroll bars on either file to scroll through both files.
Note that you can move your cursor between both files and work on the text within both files as you normally would.
Pro Tip: Stack the Files on Top of Each Other
To view the files stacked on top of each other rather than side by side, select Arrange All in the Window group.
To return to the side-by-side view, select Reset Window Position.
- To exit synchronous scrolling, deselect View Side by Side in the Window group (see figure 2).
Both files should return to the full-sized view.
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